A Heavenly Springs Series

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History records that on 1st August 1556, Joan Waste became one of the nearly 300 souls burnt at the stake for heresy during the Marian Persecutions during the reign of Queen Mary I. Her life and death is so much more than a statistic in the Kingdom of God, however, for she was a willing vessel in the hands of her God, allowing herself to be shaped and used by Him for His Glory’s sake. This unknown woman of the Reformation, neither of noble birth nor of learned education, epitomises for me the hope I have in my Lord and God. Her testimony rings out across the centuries of the glory that our Great God is able to bring forth from our lives for the sake of His Name if we too are willing to take up our cross and follow after Him.

The life of Joan Waste was a mere 22 years in length, but during that time she was the subject of 4 different monarchs at a time of great upheaval in English history. She was born, with her twin brother Roger, during the reign of Henry VIII into a poor family, her father William was a barber and rope-maker. She was blind from birth, yet even so, between the ages of 12 and 14 she had learnt not only to knit but also the art of rope-making herself. When her parents died, she and her brother took care of one another.

When Joan was 13 years old, King Henry VIII died and was succeeded by his son, Edward VI. The Reformation that was making progress on the continent through the teachings of Luther and Calvin had only made partial progress in England during Henry’s reign. The advent of the Protestant boy king, Edward VI to the throne in 1547 brought royal approval to the Reformation, and the Church of England became increasingly Protestant. For the first time, church services were conducted in English, the language of the people; the 1549 Prayer book taught the reformed doctrine of justification by faith alone, and the 1552 Book of Common Prayer removed any notion that the real presence of God was in the bread and wine.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation” – Psalm 27:1

So it was that during the reign of Edward VI, when God in His divine providence enabled the Word of God to be made more freely available to the people of England through both the spread of English language Bibles and the use of English in the services, Joan Waste began attending daily services with her twin brother, Roger. As she heard the Word of God preached, faith was born in her heart through the power of the Holy Spirit, and she soon desired her very own copy of the New Testament. Hunger for God leads to a hunger for His Word. Despite her poverty, she was able to save enough money from her rope-making to purchase a copy.

“Teach me your way, O Lord” – Psalm 27:11

Her desire for the Word of God overcame the fact of her blindness, and she made haste to the local prison where she befriended the 70-year old John Hurt. Lonely and with little to keep him occupied during the day, when Joan approached him and asked him to read a chapter from the New Testament to her each day, he was glad to oblige. When he was unavailable or unwell, this similarly did not deter her, and she would find another person to read to her, even paying them whatever she could spare if they were unwilling to do so freely.

Through her listening to the Scriptures, she was soon able to recite whole chapters herself from memory, and the Word of God was so ingrained on her heart that it shaped her character, and she was also able to identify false teaching. Oh, that God would grant all of us this desire and love for His Word, that we would cherish it likewise, memorise it in our hearts and minds, and allow it to shape us, mould us, and influence each and every area of our lives! May we never take the free availability of the Bible for granted, may we instead see that it is a divine providence that is given or taken away for the sake of His Glory, and may we use the opportunity we currently have to store as much of it in our hearts as possible!

“The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1

In 1553, when Joan was 19 years of age, King Edward died. A royal battle followed as to who would succeed Edward, for the Protestant King wished to prevent the country returning to Catholicism through the succession of the rightful heir, his half-sister Mary. A plan was hatched to put his cousin, Lady Jane Grey on the throne – however, her reign lasted a mere 9 days before Mary deposed her and returned England to Catholicism. The revival of the Heresies Act in December 1554 led to the infamous Marian Persecutions, where refusal to accept the doctrine of transubstantiation would lead to death. Here is the point at which a faith in theologians, the teachings of others, and even a knowledge of words on the pages of the Bible is no longer sufficient. A faith in the living God, Who has made those words alive in our hearts, Whose Spirit has poured those words like sweet honey into the very depths of our souls, Who has answered the desperate crying and seeking of our hearts with His very real presence in our lives, so that our hearts can cry out “I know Whom I have believed!” is surely what will carry us through times such as this, as His grace meets us in our time of need.

Joan Waste, one such soul who could cry out “I know Whom I have believed!” would not compromise on her precious faith, and refused to participate in Catholic acts of worship. It wasn’t long before she attracted the attention of the Bishop of the Diocese, Raif Bain, and his chancellor Dr Draicot. Refusing to recant her belief that the bread and wine was not the real body and blood of Christ but only a remembrance of Him, she was sentenced to death.

“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence” – Psalm 27:12

A few weeks later she was taken to the parish church of All Saints and stood before the pulpit as Dr Draicot condemned her for denying the doctrine of transubstantiation, accused her of being not only blind in her eyes but blind in her soul too, and said her soul would burn in hell with everlasting fire. Then, holding onto her brother Roger’s hand, she was led out to Windmill Pit where, crying out to Jesus for mercy, she was burned at the stake. A hollow victory for the enemy for “they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev 12:11).

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!” – Psalm 27:13

The goodness of God to Joan Waste was such that He redeemed her life – he took her blindness of flesh and gave her spiritual eyes to see Him and seek His face. He even redeemed her name as Joan Waste’s life was certainly not a loss to God’s purposes. How He took her life and gained the glory from it at each point because she was willing to be used by Him. When the conditions in the country were favourably disposed towards the advancement of the Christian faith, she glorified Him by seeking to read and meditate on His Word, no matter how difficult this was for her in her particular circumstances, and allowed it to shape her life. When persecution came through a change in monarch, she glorified Him by refusing to renounce her faith and was willing to lay down her life for Her Lord rather than bend the knee to Caesar. May we all learn from the life of this dear, faithful, young woman of God.

Affectionately referred by her husband as “his dearest housewife” Anna was the beloved wife of Ulrich Zwingli. Shedding much light into the charitable heart of this gentle soul, Anna was also warmly regarded by the people as, “the apostolic Dorcas.”

Born sometime during the year 1487 she matured into a very beautiful woman. She married John Meyer von Knonau, who came from an aristocratic family, though she did not. When his father found out about their marriage, he disinherited him, leaving John and his family to cast on his own resources. In 1511, John was elected to join the Swiss army where he traveled to Italy to fight against France. After many campaigns, he returned gravely ill and soon thereafter died, leaving Anna with 3 children: 1 son and 2 daughters.

Suddenly thrust into widowhood, Anna was forced to look after her family on her own. She struggled often to support her family and train her children. But God had not forgotten Anna. Every time a certain preacher, named Ulrich Zwingli came to preach in her town, she would attend. She listened attentively to his words as they thundered from the pulpit and it wasn’t long before he became her pastor. A true lover of the Word of God, Anna was always eager to hear the Scriptures as taught by him. At the same time, Anna’s young son Gerold, caught the preachers attention. Zwingli took an interest in becoming a role model to him and particularly encouraged him to pursue higher education. He gave him private lessons in Latin and Greek and in many ways became like a father to him. When Gerold took leave for another city, Zwingli actually wrote him a book to encourage him in his walk with the Lord. And walk with the Lord, he did. Gerold quickly obtained much favor in his new city and secured a very influential position.

It wasn’t long afterwards that Zwingli and Anna were married. Right away the young marriage encountered hostility. Many people accused Zwingli of marrying her because of her beauty — and now wealth due to her son’s success. But soon after they married, Anna stopped wearing jewelry and her appearance became more simple and modest. Together the Zwingli’s had 4 children.

Anna had a most charitable heart. She loved to help others and saw it as something of great priority in her life. She became a helper of the poor and visited the sick as often as she could. Every opportunity, and any little extra that the family had, was given to the poor, or in some way used to benefit the work of the Lord. Those who knew her well described her as a pious woman. Anna was a wife who could easily be described as being preoccupied with her husbands well-being. She was known to encourage her husband and remind him to take rests when he was working feverishly translating the Bible to her own Swiss tongue.

Zwingli was known to read his wife the Bible every night. Not surprisingly, the Bible was her favorite book and this Reformers wife tried to introduce it to as many people as she could. It was her desire that every family own a copy. She thoroughly enjoyed religious conversations and took every opportunity to learn more about the great truths of her faith and whether it was with her own husband or other Reformers she loved to participate in theological discussions.

Despite the fact that she had very soft and gentle ways about her, it would be a mistake to consider her a weak woman. This would have had to have been a woman of great faith. Any woman married to a Reformer learned to live with the knowledge that her husband was a marked man. Zwingli, of course, was no exception. Her husband’s life was constantly under threat. She particularly worried for his safety when he was alone. While she understood the life threatening nature of Reformation work, this concern was never greater than her sincere desire to support him and serve the people of God. Even as the Zwingli home was vandalized on more than one occasion she continued to open her place to Protestant refugees fleeing religious persecution. In addition, she showed great hospitality and always welcomed the opportunity to entertain Zwingli’s many friends and guests.

On October 1531, Zwingli, was ordered to go with the Swiss army as their chaplain. He knew it was the last time he would see his wife and children. As he was leaving, one can almost hear the sweetness mixed with courage in her voice as she said, “We shall see each other again if the Lord will. His will be done. And what will you bring back when you come?” Zwingli’s answer to his beloved wife, “Blessings after dark night.” And with these last words he left. Anna held onto those words for the rest of her life.

Upon being informed of her husband’s death, she ran to her bed and cried out loud to the Lord. Since there was no one else she could run to and find comfort, she prayed all alone: “Father, not my will, but Thine be done.” She knew God was sovereign and because of Christ she had assurance in her soul that she would see her husband again. Anna carried on her life with a broken heart missing her beloved, and training her children in the ways of the Lord.

On her last days, she became very sick and frail but she endured with great patience her suffering. Anna never stopped clinging to her husband’s last words. On December 6, 1538, she went home to be with the Lord where her beloveds promise of “blessings after dark night” was finally realized.

When we look to Anna Zwingli, we see a model Christian and ministers wife. Her life, far from easy, was marked by many sorrows and anxieties. Surely this was a woman who could only have been held up and comforted by the truth of the sovereignty of God. She was a woman of quiet majesty who trusted God above all. Her steadfast support to her husband in the quiet of their home enabled Zwingli to have the immeasurable influence that he had in the Reformation. It came natural to Anna to put her husband’s needs first. Anna was a woman who simply saw others as more important than herself. Anna was her husbands greatest fan and undoubtedly his most beloved student. Her loving commitment to her husband contributed to the success of the Reformation and when we speak of Ulrich Zwingli’s contribution to the church, we must remember the woman named Anna who made it all possible for him to be the blessing that he was.

The wives of the Reformers have left for us examples of God’s design in marriage. Submissive yes; inactive no. These women had a tremendous impact in the lives of their own husbands. Because of Anna, Ulrich Zwingli was able to translate the Bible and preach the gospel to many people. Anna leads the way for us today as we seek, by God’s grace, to support our husbands that they may serve the Lord in their respective callings. May we not forget the Church’s history and may we remember the women who have gone before us.

***For those who missed yesterday’s book giveaway contest you can enter here.***

About the Author: Norma Tochijara lives with her family in Montreal Quebec. She and her husband have been married for almost 17 years. They have 2 sons, and 1 daughter who, a few months ago, went home to be with the Lord. Norma and her family attend a Reformed Presbyterian Church and she is in the process of learning and being transformed to be more like Jesus. Norma blogs at Reduce Me to Love.

The sun never shone on a nobler band of women than those who labored in the Reformation. There is little need of literary embellishment, their sublime faith and heroic deeds throw a halo of glory around them, and they stand with the Master on the mount of transfiguration. The simple story of their unselfish lives comes to us across the centuries with power and pathos to stir the dullest heart to sentiments of gratitude and veneration. Remarkable alike for their great personal charms, extraordinary leadership, masterly mental powers, sublime heroism, and entire consecration to God and humanity, the women of the sixteenth century have never been equaled. – Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer [1]

October 31, 2011

Welcome! We are so delighted that you have joined us today at the start of our new series, “Women of the Reformation.”

Most of us are familiar with the great figures of the Reformation such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli to name just a few. But what about the women? Just as the men threw all that they were into Reformation work, so did the women. They lived to see the gospel advanced and the Reformation triumph. Far from being passive observers, the women of the Reformation were active participants. Yet their story, as demonstrated by the lack of information that is available, remains largely untold.

In the upcoming days, you will be introduced to several prominent women of the Protestant Reformation by twelve Reformed women passionate about, what Martin Luther called, “the church’s true treasure” – that is, the gospel. While the authors of this series hail from various backgrounds and geographical locations, our differences are overshadowed by a shared love for Jesus and a deep yearning to see a new Reformation in our own day.

Our aim in this presentation is twofold. Firstly, we desire to remember our Reformation heritage. It has been said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, Christianity had become hijacked by false doctrines, man-made traditions, superstitions, corruption, and all kinds of spiritual abuse. What’s more is that most Christians were illiterate and had to rely upon those who did not have their best interest at heart to teach them. It was out of these muddied spiritual waters that God raised up Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, to father a movement that would bring the church back to the apostolic faith. The opposition was fierce – coming from within and without. But this was a cause worth fighting for! When we study Reformation history we remember how God brought about a triumph at the most pivotal time in Church history since Pentecost.

Secondly, we are compelled by the biblical principle that calls for the older to teach the younger. The women of the Reformation have left the body of Christ a beautiful legacy of faith and endurance. Are we not surrounded by “so great a cloud of witnesses”? When we fail to uphold the women of the Reformation we rob the household of faith of the benefit of our great legacy.

The Reformation generally chronicles two categories of women. First there are the Reformers’ wives. Many of them, such as Katharina Von Bora, were ex-nuns. Some were widows. They were ordinary women permanently altered by Luther’s bold proclamation of justification by faith in Christ alone. The second group of women is royalty. These were noble women who, for the sake of Christ, employed their rank to promote the Protestant cause. In doing so, they stood to lose (and many did) all earthly wealth and honor. Some were forced into exile. The bodies of others were tortured and mangled in unspeakable ways. And still others paid the supreme sacrifice for their faith. Like their male counterparts, the women renounced everything that stood in competition with Christ no matter the cost.

Like all true Reformers, the women of the Reformation were passionate about the Word of God. They astutely grasped the doctrinal issues of the day and could hold their own (and then some!) in sophisticated theological discussions. They skillfully handled the Word of God at a time when owning your own copy of the Bible could be punishable by death. They read theological books, wrote letters, published tracts, and courageously proclaimed the gospel. When describing their commitment to the Word of God, one author explains, “They were steeped in Scripture and even the comparatively uneducated, who appear in the martyrologies and the heresy trials, gave their judges a terrific run at any point involving the Word of God.”[2]

You will also see that the women of the Reformation had hearts that were overflowing with mercy. Many opened their homes and out of their own sustenance provided for those fleeing religious persecution. Moved with compassion they turned their homes into safe houses and acted as ministers of comfort to the persecuted. Whether they penned their consolation or delivered their comfort by way of personal visitations, the women of the Reformation excelled in charity and good works. There can be no doubt that their active service refreshed many a weary soul in their day.

We recognize our little series to be a tiny scratch on the surface when it comes to acknowledging the whole of the contributions these women have made. However, it is our sincerest prayer that these brief sketches and reflections will strengthen your heart and increase your zeal. Moreover, we desire that you be inspired to be about the same business that our Reformation sisters were — the building up of our homes and our churches.

We thank you for joining us and invite you to enter into Reformation history to meet the women of old who have left the church a legacy of undivided devotion to Christ. May we follow them as they have so faithfully followed Christ.

They did not seek a cause; they were overtaken by it. There is much in common with the statement of Martin Luther, “Here I stand I can do no other.” These are not women trying to write their names into the history books. They are simply witnessing to what they believed to be true: the scales had fallen, the light had shone, and they would die rather than deny it. – Mary Zahl[3]

We will start tomorrow with none other than the lovely Katharina Von Bora, wife of Martin Luther, affectionately referred by Luther as, “Katie, my rib.”

To kick-off this series we will be giving away one copy of Roland H. Bainton’s, “Women of the Reformation in Germany and Italy”. Leave a comment to let us know you are interested in participating. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of our series sometime during the week of November 14th! International entries welcome for this contest.